Candids and Street Photography ~ TORONTO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER JUAN ROJO DESIGN

Monday, December 17, 2007

Candids and Street Photography

I must admit it, I still take a candid every now and then but they are increasingly scarce in my Flickr Photostream. I think there's a certain invasion of privacy involved in it and a detestable "paparazzi" feel to it. In the words of Michael Grecco (author of Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait): "... I do not use the shoot-people-from-a-distance-with-a-long-lens approach. This does not work and is strictly for amateurs who are afraid to engage their subjects". A lot of people would beg to differ with Michael's view but in my opinion he's right on many levels. Photographing a stranger does not convey any emotions other than the interpretation of the person behind the lens. While some of those spontaneous captures might be amusing and compelling at times, they do not tell a story. Having said that, sometimes the image calls for the right mood and the right person at the right time:

Taken on Saturday, December 15th, 2007 after leaving the Bedford Academy. It was just a few hours before the city of Toronto got hit by a snow storm, which dumped 25 cms of snow on the ground. It was a cold night and maybe the prospect of spending all day Sunday at home prompted this lone soul to roam the streets in search of a pub that would provide some comfort. Again, that's my interpretation, maybe this guy didn't want to go out in the first place but he got talked into it by his friends and he was just thinking: "damn it, I should have stayed at home".

Looking Through The Cold

1 comment:

sncr said...

The man in the picture is me.

There is do debate, taking a picture in secret from a distance IS a shoddy hobby - let alone trying dream up what was going on your blog.

Since you are so interested in what I was upto (stalker? paparazai? or just another rude guy with a camera), I was on my way to a work xmas party, which was at the Bedford Academy.

Using the picture to show-off your "skills" without permission is sketchy. I suggest you remove the pic, delete your portofiolo of strangers minding THEIR own business and try ASKING people for their picture to further your career. If you don't, you might one day end up talking to their lawyers.

By the way, just because I look good in this pic does not mean you've got talent.